California and New York Enact $15 Minimum Wage

California and New York Enact $15 Minimum Wage

Article excerpt

Two states on opposite coasts are raising the bar on state minimum wages to $15 an hour, the highest in the country.

California's new law will raise the pay rate every January starting in 2017 until it reaches $15 an hour for employers with more than 25 workers in 2022. Companies with 25 or fewer employees would have until 2023 to reach $15.

The measure also sets mandatory paid sick days at three per year.

The California statute has a built-in "pause" button under which the increases could be stopped for a year if the state goes into a recession or experiences a serious budget crisis.

New York's act, in addition to raising the state's minimum wage over a period of time, requires employers to provide workers with 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. …